Windshield cleaner



J. H. HAMMOND, JR

WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed March 29. 1920 k e g t i IN VENTOR H/SAWURNEY I JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR, 0F GLOUGES sacmisn'rrs WINDSHIELD CLEANM Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 3%,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN HAYS HAM- MOND, Jr.,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gloucester, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, and whose post-ofiice address is Hammond 'Radio Research Laboratory, Gloucester, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windshield Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide means for cleaning a wind-shield or any type of window-pane requiring a clear vision for driving purposes; to provide means to automatically maintain a wind-shield free from rain, sleet, snow or other conditions of the weather which obstruct the vision through glass; to provide means operable at will for cleaning a windshield and which in operation acts continuously to maintain a clear vision; to provide a movable cleaning device operated electrically to move with a reciprocating movement across the exposed side of a windshield; and to rovide other improvements as will hereina 1' appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of one form of windshield cleaner embodying the present invention;-and Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig; 1. Y

Referring to the drawings one form of the present invention is shown as a plied to a standard automobile wind-shiel comprising a frame 10 arranged to support an upper glass 11 and a lower glass 12 in the usual manner for a clear vision.

For the cleaning of both of the glasses 11 and 12 two strips 13 and 14 of rubber, or any other suitable material, are secured to a holder or head 15 to respectivel contact with theexposed outer faces of t e glasses 11 and 12, the holder 15 being supported in operative position by an extension 16 arranged to pass between the glasses 11 and 12 and having a leader nut 17 fixed thereto which has threaded engagement with a feed screw 18. This feed screw 18 is mounted in bearings 20 and extends horizontally across the wind-shield from one side to the other.

In order to transmit motion to the leader nut 17, one end of the feed screw 18 1s rovided with a bevel gear 21 in mesh wit a bevel pinion 22 which is fast to a shaft 23 driven by a motor 24.' Current is supplied to the motor 24 from an suitable source, such as a battery 25, w ich may be the standard starting and lighting battery, having conductors 26 and 27 connected throu h 60 to a bracket 34 secured to the rame 10. On

opposite sides of this arm 32 are two sets of contacts 35 and 36, and 37 and 38, each pair being in the path of movement of the contactors and 31 and arranged to be engaged thereby to change the direction of the current. This current change is accomplished by connecting contacts and 38 to a conductor 40 which leads to one ter minal of the armature coils of the motor 24, and the contacts 36 and 37 to a conductor 41 which leads to the other terminal of the armature coils of the motor 24.

As a means for shifting the arm 32 from one pair of contacts to the other, a trip finger 42 is provided, which is also pivoted at 33, and has a slot 43 receiving a pin 44 fixed to a bar 45. This bar 45 extends parallel to the feed screw 18 and has its ends mounted for free sliding movement, axially considered, in the bearings 20. Fixed to the res ective ends of the bar 45 are two lugs 46 an 47 which project into the path of movement of the leader nut 17 so that as the latter nears either end of the feed screw 18 it will strike a lug 46 or 47 and cause the trip finger 42 to be shifted.

For causin a quick throw of the switch arm 32, a spring 50 is placed in tension between a fixed pin 51 on the switch arm 32 and a like in 52 on the trip finger 42, with the result t at any movement of the finger 42 to bring the spring 50 to either side of the pivot 33 will produce a snap action throwing the switch arm 32 to a new position.

In the 0 station of the device, the switch 28 is close and the motor 24 will rotate the shaft 23 in a direction dependent upon the position ofthe bar 45. In this instance the rotation will be in a direction to cause the leader nut 17 to move to the-left, as seen in Fig. 1, thereby feeding the holder 15 in the same direction and e eamng the windshield lasses. When the leader nut 17 strikes t e lug 46 the bar'45 is moved bodily to the left, thereby swinging the fin er 42 in a counter-clockwise direction until-t espring 50 just passes the pivot 33 when the spring 50 snaps the switch arm 32 to its other extreme position bringing the contact-ors 30 and 31 into engagement with the contacts 36 and 36. This reverses the motor current through the armature circuit and causes the shaft 23 to reverse its direction of rotation and thus turn the feed screw 18 in a direction to feed the leader nut 17 to the right as seen in Fig. 1. This movement continues until the leader nut 17 strikes the lug 47 when the bar 45 is again shifted and the switch arm 32 snapped back to its former position with the contactors 30 and 31 engaging the contacts 38 and 37, when the direction of the motor 24 is again reversed. This action takes place continuously as long as the switch 28 is closed and in consequence the cleanerstrips 13 and 14 are reciprocated across the glasses 11 and 12 and maintain a clear vision.

Although only one of the many forms in 'day of windshield, comprising a, wiper for each of said parts having a portion extending through the opening between the parts, a

movable member positioned on the side of the windshield opposite the side having the wiper, the portion of the wiper extending throu h the openin being afiixed and supported by said mem r, and means for supporting and reciprocating said member across the windshield.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 26th March, A. D. 1920.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR. 

